"You also have one eye open as a coach " - Rahul Dravid on tracking performances of Indian players in IPL 2023
Indian men's cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid has mentioned that the national team coaches are keeping an eye out on the performances of the national team members in the ongoing IPL 2023.
India is set to host the 2023 World Cup in the October-November period and will be the first major 50-over event under the potential leadership of Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid.
Barring a few injured players, the core members of the Indian ODI setup are currently playing for their respective IPL franchises in India.
Speaking in a video to the organisers of the IPL on the sidelines of the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, head coach Rahul Dravid said:
"Obviously you have one eye as a fan but you also have one eye as a coach is open. You are always looking to see how the boys are doing who are part of the white-ball setup (for India)."
Dravid added:
"So some regular discussions among the coaches as well. When you see something happening we always text and keep messaging each other about stuff. Good to see some of the young kids come and perform really well."
The 50-year-old watched the RCB vs RR IPL 2023 match as a guest of the Rajasthan Royals at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The former Indian skipper admitted it was easier to witness the game from a fan's perspective rather than donning the coach's hat, saying:
"Yeah, it's a lot more relaxing to watch it this way than to watch it as a coach. Obviously you are lot more invested in the game as a coach. You are analysing everything."
🏻 #TATAIPL | #RCBvRR
- By @RajalArora#TeamIndia Head Coach Rahul Dravid witnessed a thrilling clash in Bengaluru ft. the two sides he previously played for in the IPL - @RCBTweets & @rajasthanroyals 😃👌🏻 #TATAIPL | #RCBvRR
Here's what he had to say post #RCB's narrow 7-run win over #RR 🔽 - By @RajalArora https://t.co/R5zNcbG038
"Nice to watch a game of cricket without thinking too much about it" - Rahul Dravid
RCB held their nerves to defeat Sanju Samson's men by seven, the home side donning green jerseys dedicated to the environment.
A 127-run significant partnership between Faf du Plessis (62) and Glenn Maxwell (77) propelled RCB to muster 189 for 9 in the first innings. Harshal Patel (3/32) once again proved his mettle when he defended 20 runs in the last over, while Mohammed Siraj and David Willey picked up one wicket.
Rahul Dravid, who has played for both RCB and RR during his six-year IPL career, said the atmosphere of the game was lovely in Bengaluru:
"Just lovely to come here, watch it and have some fun. The family is here as well, lovely stadium and good vibes, good atmosphere. Two teams that I have played for as well. So it's nice, once in a while, to watch a game of cricket without thinking about it too much."
Dravid's next assignment with the Indian team will be the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia in June.